Artemesia

Often mistakenly referred to as sages, this genus was named for the Greek goddess Artemis. Most are quite large plants growing several feet tall, and they are almost always silver or grey-green in color. They are extremely drought resistant and strongly scented when broken or crushed. Artemesia oil is a common ingredient in moth balls.

Artemesia are famously bitter to the taste so deer and rabbits tend to avoid them. Historically, they have been used to expel intestinal worms, which granted them the other common name of wormwood. While most are hardy, be careful as a few of them are also invasive, especially in rich soil.

Grow artemesias in lean, poor soil for best results.

Artemesia ludoviciana has gorgeous white-silver foliage but tends to be quite tall. ‘Valerie Finnis’ is a very compact form that only grows about 2 ft. ‘Silver King’ has a similar appearance but is less well behaved. Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’ is a hybrid with stunning, fine textured silver foliage but keep an eye on it as it can be a thug.

Silvermound (A. schmidtiana) grows about 30 to 35 centimetres (12 to 14 inches) tall and up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) wide. It forms a perfect silver dome.

Southernwood (A. abrotanum) has a long history of medicinal use. It smells strongly of camphor and lemon. It has a long history of use in both magic and pest control and the silvery green, very fine leaves are quite handsome.

A. stelleriana has grey-white leaves and grows as a groundcover, with ‘Silver Brocade’ being an especially handsome and vigorous cultivar.

A. absinthium is used to flavor absinthe and vermouth and has a very strong, disagreeable scent. It is widely naturalized in North America and a serious pasture weed.

A. vulgaris ‘Oriental Limelight’ has large leaves heavily splashed and marbled in shades of green and gold. It is attractive but can be very invasive, and it will also revert to solid green if you don’t keep an eye on it.